The Dallas Mavericks are in danger of missing the playoffs, and owner Mark Cuban is ready to flip the sign to “open” and welcome in teams looking to make deals before the February 21 trade deadline.

Cuban has openly stated that he is prepared to take on extra salary for the right pieces, as quoted by ESPN’s Tim McMahon:

We're letting everybody know that the "Bank of Cuban" is open. If it's the right deal, we don't mind taking back money. But we're not going to do a trade just to do a trade. It's got to be worthwhile.

Things aren’t going well for the Mavs this year, and apart from superstar forward Dirk Nowitzki, no one on the roster should feel safe in Dallas. Everyone is up for grabs.

The coming weeks will determine a lot, but it’s pretty safe to assume Dallas will be actively pursuing a deal or two before February 21. We’ll keep you updated on all the rumors and activity related to the Mavericks as the deadline approaches.

Mavericks Looking to Move Young Role Players

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With the Mavericks still 4.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, it is time for them to start thinking about what they need to do to either make a run at the end of this season or put themselves in a better position for next season.

Two players who could be on the move before Thursday's trade deadline are Dominique Jones and Rodrigue Beaubois, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.

Make that Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones available in Dallas. It's been a long day.

Both players still have youth on their side, as both are just 24 years old and have been relatively productive given the limited number of minutes they play each night.

Beaubois averages 3.7 points and 1.9 assists in 40 games played this season. He is having a down year shooting the ball, hitting just 35.1 percent of his attempts. For his career, however, he has shot a respectable 43.8 percent from the field.

Jones has less of a track record even though he averages more points (4.1) and assists (3.0) per game than Beaubois. He is not a good shooter from the field but does add minutes and depth to a team.

If a deal were to happen, the Mavericks would likely just be trying to upgrade their bench and add more depth to the roster.

This is the time of year when the Dallas Mavericks traditionally look for that one extra piece that could help them make another deep playoff run, but this season they’re really just looking for someone to get them there. Dirk Nowitzki has struggled to regain his form after a knee injury and the rest of the team, though decent at times, just hasn’t been able to get it done on a consistent basis.

The Mavs are as active as ever in attempting to engage in trade talks, but a lack of real assets has stopped them cold on every call. They would love to have Josh Smith, for example, and have offered the Atlanta Hawks anyone not named “Dirk” to get a deal done, but even the likes of Shawn Marion and Vince Carter have not been enough to get a deal done. Dallas desperately needs another significant piece, but right now it looks like they will be hard pressed to find one.

Chris Kaman May Be Involved in Any Deal

With Cuban so intent on making a deal or two before the deadline, it’s no surprise center Chris Kaman could be one of the first players out the door should Dallas make a deal.

According to Eddie Sefko of DallasNews.com, the Mavericks could be willing to include Kaman in any deal. He hasn’t been happy with the fact that he is playing in a rotation at center, and his value isn’t particularly high at the moment, especially considering Kaman’s deficiencies at the defensive end of the floor.

Kaman is making $8 million in the final year of his deal, and given the cap room Dallas has to offer other teams, an $8 million expiring contract carries a lot of value. He’s also still producing enough to warrant some attention from other teams, averaging 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds in just under 24 minutes per game this year.

No suitors have publicly come forward with an interest in Kaman, but it’s almost a guarantee his name will be mentioned repeatedly in the next few weeks.

Vince Carter’s Could Be Dealt, but Trade Is a "Long Shot"

Vince Carter is making just $3.5 million this season, but he’s still producing. With Cuban shopping the entire team, Carter’s name will certainly be thrown around leading up to the deadline.

According to Eddie Sefko of DallasNews.com, Carter is one of the league’s “biggest bargains,” and is almost certain to be a hot topic in the weeks prior to the February 21 deadline.

UPDATE: Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:25 p.m. ET by Tyler Conway

Anything is possible, but it's looking less and less likely by the day that Carter will be moved. According to NBA.com's Jeff Caplan, Carter is considered to be a "long shot" to be shipped out of Dallas by the trade deadline:

A league source Wednesday characterized the odds of Dallas moving Carter by the Feb. 21 as a “long shot.” Which Carter said suits him just fine, despite the Mavs needing a significant run just to get into playoff contention.

Carter's lack of movement will suit the Mavericks just fine as well. Once considered arguably the biggest malcontent in the league, Carter has developed into a strong veteran presence in the Mavericks' locker room and has—unlike other players from his generation—changed his game as he's aged.

While he might fetch a decent asset in return, Carter will be a more than welcome face if he sticks around for the remainder of the season.

There are a lot of teams in the league that could potentially be interested in a veteran presence in the backcourt. With his friendly salary and his production still at a respectable level, it’s a virtual certainty teams will be gauging Dallas’ interest for Carter. The price will have to be right, but it’s hard to imagine him being on the team to end the season.

Shawn Marion Has Trade-Market Value, Won't Go to Bad Team

Shawn Marion is still producing at a solid level, and his 10.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game would indicate that the 34-year-old has quite a bit left in the tank.

As is the case with Carter, Kaman and almost every other player on the roster, Marion could be a prime candidate to play for another team next season.

UPDATE: Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:20 p.m. ET by Tyler Conway

Though it's possible that Marion will be moved by the Feb. 21 trade deadline, he has no plans on going to a bad situation. Speaking with ESPN's Tim McMahon, Marion indicated he would refuse to report if the Mavericks traded him to a cellar-dwelling franchise.

“If I’m going to get traded, they’re going to tell me what’s going on and where I’m going,” Marion said. “Because if I’m going to a (expletive) situation, I’m not going. It’s just that simple."

It's certainly an understandable position. Though Dallas is nowhere near title contention, Marion has spent the past three-and-a-half seasons with the franchise. At age 34, comfort matters in the life of an NBA player.

So while it's possible that the Mavs ship Marion elsewhere, the veteran forward has already limited their options greatly.

---End of update---

While Marion’s contract isn’t the most cap-friendly available on the trade market, Marion is still producing, and he offers the potential to make a difference for teams still in playoff contention. His contract runs through next season, but that’s also a time when select teams may try to clear cap space for a run at potential free agent LeBron James.

As indicated by Sefko, trade rumors involving Marion and others will be a “fact of life” in the coming weeks, presumably because there will be a lot of teams interested in trying to sway a deal for the forward.

There aren’t any concrete rumors of specific teams shopping for Marion at the moment, but NBA executives are always involved in talks to gauge interest. It’s only a matter of time before we begin to hear trade speculation involving Marion, Carter, Kaman and the rest of the Mavericks squad.